Oct. 17: SJE to Perform at PFD + PFARS Benefit Cocktail Party

Come out Friday, October 17, from 6-9pm to support the Princeton Fire Department and the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad. McCaffrey's will be laying out a fine spread under a big tent in the Princeton Shopping Center courtyard. We'll play as a trio--Phil Orr (piano), Jerry D'Anna (upright bass) and myself on clarinet and sax--from about 6 to 8:15pm, after which a flamenco group will perform. 100% of ticket sales go to this great cause.

More info from the Arts Council of Princeton website, below:

"Many of us volunteer our time for which we earn thanks, gratitude, and commendation. But there is another kind of volunteer, operating at a completely different level; donating his or her time, but also their very existence. Each and every day countless unnamed individuals put their careers on hold and their lives in danger to help others in times of need. It stands to reason that those among us who have given of themselves for the benefit of others are in fact local heroes.

Come meet, greet and thank Princeton’s local heroes at the Princeton Shopping Center under the Food Tent! This event is co-sponsored by McCaffrey’s and Princeton Merchant’s Association and will feature cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres, music featuring the Sustainable Jazz Ensemble and a dance production of “The Fire of Flamenco” with ACP’s Artist-in-Residence Lisa Botalico, plus a chance to win a door prize! Entertainment sponsored by the Arts Council of Princeton.

100% of tickets sales will be donated to the Princeton Fire Department and the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad. Click here for more info."

SJE Performed at FOPOS Picnic

Mountain Lakes House, as always, made a beautiful setting for a Sept. 28 celebration of those who volunteer their time for the Friends of Princeton Open Space. I worked for FOPOS for six years as a naturalist and natural resource manager, and was asked back to perform as a duo of clarinet/sax and upright bass. It was a great pleasure, playing originals and jazz standards on the patio for all those among us who work to keep open space welcoming to people and wildlife in Princeton, with a vista of Mountain Lakes spread before us.

Sally Curtis videotaped us and posted a medley of three tunes. The first is an original, Greening the Blues, followed by Body and Soul, and All the Things You Are. Thank you, Sally!

SJE To Perform at DR Greenway's 25th Anniversary Gala

The Sustainable Jazz Ensemble in its duo format, with Phil Orr on keyboard and myself on clarinet and tenor sax, will perform at the DR Greenway's 25th anniversary gala on Saturday, Sept. 13. It's a great honor to play at this celebration of those who have contributed so much to preserving open space in New Jersey. More information here. We'll send our locally sourced original melodies floating across the Johnson Education Center grounds, mixed with some jazz standards.

Free Concerts: Harlem Quartet and a Blue Curtain Concert

A quick note. Tomorrow evening, July 21, the Harlem Quartet performs for free at Richardson Auditorium in Princeton. They performed a year or two ago with Chick Corea at McCarter Theater, and will be playing some Chick Corea music along with classical repertoire. Should be excellent.

Another free concert is coming up on August 2nd at 7pm at Pettoranello Gardens in Princeton, produced by Blue Curtain. I am so grateful for the infusion of world music they provide Princeton twice each summer. They have a Facebook page, where you can learn more. You may also find a website via internet search.

Two Events--Tonight and Ongoing

TONIGHT: FREE PERFORMANCE BY THE DONALD SINTA SAXOPHONE QUARTET
Richardson Hall on the Princeton University campus, at 7:30pm.

Donald Sinta was professor of saxophone at the University of Michigan when I was living in Ann Arbor. I never studied with him, but remember his gorgeous tone on a solo in a performance of Ravel's Bolero at Hill Auditorium. Music school performances were free at the University of Michigan, which made it easy to hear great music throughout the year. This performance is also free. The quartet is named after Sinta, but he is mentor rather than participant.


ONGOING: DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

Sustainable Jazz pianist Phil Orr is musical director of a production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in Hopewell, NJ. An extensive review can be found here, and info Phil sent out is below. Phil tells me that one night during a performance, a bat entered the theater through an open door and began dive-bombing the audience, then got stunned when it flew into an exhaust fan in the ceiling, dropping to the ground just in front of the stage. The show continued, undaunted, soon launching into a song that, as chance would have it, had the word "bat" in its title. Here's some dialogue from the musical that I found on the internet:

"The Corpus Hippocraticum
Like bats out of the attic-come
Like popes out of the Vati-come"

Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays, June 27 - July 26, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", the Broadway musical about two vastly different con men maneuvering for turf in the same French Riviera town. Originally a popular film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine – get the idea? Musical direction par moi. The Off-Broadstreet Theatre ("the original and best New Jersey Dessert Theatre"), 5 S. Greenwood Ave, Hopewell, NJ 08525, (609) 466-2766 www.off-broadstreet.com. Info, Tickets and Directions.

Two New CDs by SJE Pianist, Phil Orr

Phil Orr, the Sustainable Jazz Ensemble's first pianist, has released two excellent CDs of his own arrangements and compositions, all beautifully done. He offers new music in the form of originals, and imaginative takes on the "Advent/Christmas/Epiphany" traditions. Like Phil, this music is good company. Check it out on his website.

• Buy a CD--or two!---I finally recorded not one, but two solo piano projects. Mutual Admiration---Philip Orr plays Philip Orr is a conspectus of jazz originals, intimately recorded on a responsive Steinway concert grand  Some of these you may have heard at previous recitals and concerts but some of them are showing their smooth, unblemished skin to the light of day for the very first time. Engaging Mystery: Bethlehem Revisited is Advent/Christmas/Epiphany music ancient and modern, in new guises or with none at all, sincere and straight-forward. 
• at the new Philip Orr, Musician website, www.philiporrmusician.com. News, music (audio and printed) and biography---simple and sweet. Take a spin and let me know what you think!

Palmer Square, July 5, noon to 2pm

The Sustainable Jazz Ensemble will B there at P Square in Princeton as part of Palmer Square's Lunchtime Music on the Green series, with performances of Greening the Blues, Scrambled Eggs, Lemon Merengue and other sustaining fare.


Bring a picnic or catch dessert at the Bent Spoon. There will be some chairs sprinkled about, but you can also bring a blanket or your favorite lawn chair.

May 19 Potluck and House Concert

Some of the jazz scene in Princeton takes place in the homes of music lovers who have a space appropriate for performances. SJE is giving an all-acoustic performance this Saturday, May 19, as part of the Salon 33 series in a private music room across Route 1 from Princeton. Potluck at 7pm; concert starts at 8pm. All are welcome. Please email me for details (click here for my profile and email address).

Thursday, May 3 at Labyrinth Bookstore in Princeton

The Sustainable Jazz Ensemble will perform for Art Walk #3 on the lower floor of Labyrinth Bookstore on Nassau Street in Princeton. Time is 6-8pm. You can sit and listen or browse for books as the music floats up the stairs to the main floor.

April 14 Event: Walks Across Princeton

This Saturday, I'll be performing original compositions and a few jazz standards with a spring theme , accompanied by Janet Vertesi on harp. The performance, at Mountain Lakes House in Princeton, is a bit unusual in that people will access it on foot, along forest trails that converge at Mountain Lakes. 
        
The event is being organized by Friends of Princeton Open Space. You can sign up for one of three guided walks of varying lengths that start at different locations and all end up at Mountain Lakes House for refreshments and some music. This is a free event. We'll play from 2:15 to 3:15.
        
Register at fopos.org.

University's Keller Center Features SJE Composition

You may have heard us play a tune called Funky River, which had its beginnings as a piece commissioned by the Keller Center of Princeton University. They wanted eight bars of music to go with their graphics at the beginning of videos posted on their website. I was happy with the way it turned out, and later expanded it into a composition to perform with the group.

To hear the music, go to the Keller Center website and click on one of the videos. The university added the lyrics: "Princeton University's Keller Center, educating leaders for a technology driven society. It may not qualify us as the new Rodgers and Hart, but it has nonetheless piggybacked on tens of thousands of video downloads.

March 1--Free Performance at Labyrinth Bookstore

We'll be performing Thursday, March 1, downstairs at the Labyrinth Bookstore, 122 Nassau Street in Princeton, as part of an Art Walk event organized by the university art museum and the Arts Council. Performing time is 6-8pm.

Labyrinth fits well into the 3/50 concept, which involves choosing 3 local businesses you value having in town, and spending $50/month at each one.

Article on SJE at GeniusCountry.com

A very nice article on our Nov. 18 concert at the Arts Council of Princeton, including some photos of the performance. The writeup is in the "panache" section of a new online magazine at geniuscountry.com.

Arts Council Performance--Friday, November 18

The Solley Theater on the second floor of the Arts Council of Princeton is one of the best places in town to hear live music. We'll be playing a mix of our sustainable standards and new material--all locally composed. Music starts at 8pm. Tickets are $10 or $5 for students/members/seniors.
      Steve Hiltner on tenor sax and clarinet, Ron Connor on the beautiful Arts Council grand piano, and Jerry D'Anna on acoustic bass.
       The Arts Council is at 102 Witherspoon St.

November Performances Feature Note Up-cycling Demos

This month, during two Princeton performances of its original jazz and latin compositions, the Sustainable Jazz Ensemble will demonstrate the art of musical note recycling. Tonight, Thursday, Nov. 3, we'll be at the Labyrinth Bookstore, down in the book-lined basement.


Friday, Nov. 18 at 8pm we'll perform a concert at the Arts Council of Princeton, with their beautiful grand piano.

The group specializes in the so-called "upcycling" of notes, which involves utilizing well-worn C's, B flats, G sharps, what have you, to fashion fresh, new melodies. Our sophisticated jazz technology allows us to even utilize an occasional C flat or B sharp--notes that might otherwise sadly end up in a landfill. As is well known, most note recycling these days is done by iPods and other mechanical devices. To see a Sustainable Jazz Ensemble performance is to witness an updated form of ancient note recycling techniques, performed by real people operating real note-regenerating instruments.

In a culture where so much goes to waste, it can be satisfying to hear notes getting recycled in melodious ways at sometimes dizzying speeds, right before your very ears. Audience members are encouraged to bring spare musical notes for recycling. All scale tones, numbers 1-7, are accepted.

Arts Council Performance--Friday, November 18

The Arts Council of Princeton has a wonderful space for hearing music, and an excellent grand piano. We're looking forward to performing in this special space and hope you can come. Music starts at 8pm. More information upcoming.

Princeton Library Benefit

The Sustainable Jazz Ensemble will perform as part of an October 14 benefit for the Princeton Library. The event, for which tickets are required, includes a talk by New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast, a live auction, and sit down dinner.

Performance at the Antiques Show Preview Party

The Sustainable Jazz Ensemble takes its show to the Princeton Airport tonight to provide music for the Historical Society of Princeton's annual Antiques Show Preview Party. The party kicks off a weekend of Antique Show events. We'll be performing from 7-10pm in the expansive environs of the main hangar, next to a tent of vintage automobiles.

US 1 Profiles the Sustainable Jazz Ensemble

In preparation for our performance at Palmer Square tomorrow, a nice writeup about SJE in U.S.1..

Free-Range Musicians To Perform this Thursday and Friday

Unlike industrially raised music, the original compositions of the Sustainable Jazz Ensemble are performed by musicians who live their lives roaming freely outside of cages. In addition to the obvious benefits for the performers, music performed by free range musicians is said to be higher in nutritive value.

You can sample locally grown compositions like Scrambled Eggs and Lemon Merengue while eating lunch on Palmer Square tomorrow (Thursday) from 12 to 2pm, as part of Palmer Square's Lunchtime Music on the Green series. Thanks to Palmer Square for having us.

We'll also be performing for free this Friday from 6:30 - 8pm, surrounded by books in the basement of Labyrinth Bookstore. The trio is composed of Jerry D'Anna on bass, Ron Connor on piano, and myself on saxophone and clarinet.